Golden Buttercups
by Dusty Paws
Summary: Werewolves in Volterra are expected, and welcomed with open arms. But once those arms close around you, there is little chance of escape. Or survival.
1. I: Volterra

Well, I was asked if I was going to write a prequel for Yellow Tulips concerning the Reynolds pack and their vampires. Until that moment the thought hadn't crossed my mind so **segir** this one's for you :)

So back to my Flowers Trilogy, which is what I'm privately calling it, no Alice, Bella or Edward. Just my OCs and the Volturi. Fun times indeed :)

Disclaimer: It pleases me to say that I own something in this story. Yes Lucy, Leon, Amber, Michael, Jonathon, Ruby and The Black Swan are all mine :) Volterra and the Volturi...not so much. But hey I own somehing, and that pleases me :)

* * *

Lucy Reynolds crested the grassy hill first. The city before her was walled off, away from the rest of the world, and conquering forces. A light wind pulled at her cropped blonde hair, but she ignored it; the sun was beginning to set and she wanted to get inside the city by nightfall. "Beautiful isn't it?" A bell-like voice commented from beside her. Michael Alden's blue eyes glittered in the hot Italian sun, almost as much as his pale skin did. Long dark hair made him seem paler than he really was, but Michael was a vampire, and that was to be expected.

"As far as a city can be." Her voice was much rougher than his and carried a distinctly English accent. Michael smiled, looking at the city more than his companion.

"The closest thing we have to royalty lives here. Why did you two, of all people, want to visit?" Lucy cast a glance behind her, to where a boy with windswept blonde hair and mismatched eyes was just clambering over the last of the hill. One of the boy's eyes was bright green; the other was pale blue, just as hers were. Leon Reynolds gasped for breath.

"Why aren't we driving here? Seriously?" He looked up at his sister with questioning eyes. She quirked an eyebrow.

"Where's your sense of adventure Lee?" She smiled as he straightened to his full seven feet. Lucy shared a glance with Michael, shaking her head before starting down the other side of the hill.

"I think I left it somewhere near Rome." Leon muttered before following them, sliding slightly on the dry grass. "Why don't we just wolf it, we'll be there in no time." Lucy rolled her eyes; for an alpha her brother could be very childish.

"The Volturi would kill you as soon as they saw you." Michael answered, without even looking back. Lucy was grateful for him; he was a good friend, almost a second brother. And he was a vegetarian; he only drank the blood of fish and reptiles, something that repulsed her slightly more than the idea of drinking human blood. They'd met Michael two years ago just off the French border, where the townsfolk were hunting him. The people had not been happy at the sight of the twin wolves that stole their prey from them in a flash of blonde fur.

"Besides Lee, Sam'd throw a fit if he knew where we were." Sam would not be impressed to know they were with a vampire either, she added silently.

Sam Uley was the alpha of an American pack of werewolves, their original pack. They'd had to leave when they found out Leon was an alpha too: two alphas couldn't co-exist. But they'd stayed a branch of the original pack, and in wolfen form members of a pack could read each other's minds.

"Fine." Leon grumbled as they reached flat land again. "But can we at least walk along the road?" Lucy chuckled silently; Leon could easily order her to do any of these things and she would have no choice but to comply, but her brother had never gotten used to the idea of being the leader of their troupe. He didn't like to lead.

She looked up at the rapidly darkening sky, and then to Michael's softly gleaming skin.

"Sure. It'll be dark soon anyway."

/

"Finally." Leon breathed a sigh of relief, throwing himself backwards onto one of the two beds in the room. It was a cheap hotel room, and was sparsely decorated but the boy seemed happy enough. Lucy tossed the room key at him, hitting him square in the stomach. "Killjoy." Her brother muttered, rubbing his stomach with a wounded look on his face.

"Hypocrite." She laughed. Michael rolled his eyes and leant on the wall beside the door, twirling another set of keys on his index finger. "I thought we were supposed explore first night. It's rule number one, remember?" Leon rolled onto his side, pulling the cover to his chin.

"Have fun." Lucy rolled her eyes. "I think I'll let you explore, you can lead me while we're here." She looked at Michael who shrugged, slipping the keys into his jeans.

"Sure, brother of mine. Sleep while you can. We'll call from the jail in the morning." Lucy slipped around Michael and opened the door. "Who knows what you'll miss out on?" Leon waved a hand in farewell.

"G'night." Michael closed the door, stepping out into the cold hallway.

"Next time I ask how to tire your brother out; walk him across Italy." He smiled down on the werewolf girl, cerulean eyes twinkling. "Bar?" She returned the smile, exposing sharp, white teeth.

"Lead the way, Mikey." She slipped her arm through his, and allowed him to lead her away, down the hall and out of the building.

/

It didn't take them long to find a place. The Black Swan was just down the road from their hotel, and was a delightfully dark, surprisingly English, bar that was most certainly not geared towards tourists. "I was hoping this was still here." Michael smiled, pushing the wooden door open and holding it for Lucy. The wolf girl slid into the dark room, mismatched eyes darting around to capture every detail.

The bar was made of dark wood, the same as the walls and a halo of pale smoke floated above the patrons' heads. The dark walls were scattered with pictures, tables and stolen road signs. Lucy liked the place immediately. "I wonder…" Michael ambled over to the bar, leaning against as if he belonged there until a pretty young bartender moved towards him.

"Ciao, cibi. Can I get you anything?" Lucy's lips twitched into a smile as she joined her friend, hopping onto a stool, and swinging her legs like a child.

"Sure, a whiskey for my friend here, and a scrap of information." The blonde behind the bar was entranced by Michael as she handed Lucy her drink, and the wolf handed her a few coins. Lucy had seen many a human girl ensnared by the brilliant blue eyes, and she found it endlessly amusing. "Could you tell me if Signore Jon still works here?" The blonde girl just stared at him in silence.  
"It's still my name over the door, kid." A portly man with salt and pepper hair moved into sight. A wide grin spread across Michael's face, as Lucy noted the crimson eyes. Vampire. A human-killer at that. She growled softly. "Most people leave their dogs tied up outside." 'Signore Jon' sent her a good-natured smile that she didn't return.

"Lucy, this is Jonathon. He's a good man." The wolf flared her nostrils and sipped her drink.

"I'll take your word for it." She muttered, turning away from their conversation to scan the crowd.

Among the myriad of smells she could smell a mob of vampires, each one with a subtle change in their scent. A crimson-eyed man passed her, leaving the stink of vampire mixed with lilies behind him. A flash of crimson whirled past again, this time dancing with a wide-eyed brunette that smelled of sunlight and flowers. Human. Her grip on her glass intensified until she could hear it creak in protest.  
"Relax, Luce. You're outnumbered here, don't do anything rash." Rash, of course, was something she was known for being. But she wasn't stupid. She turned to tell him so but, instead, found herself meeting burning ruby eyes.

The girl before her was beautifully pale, as all her kind was, with long brown hair that curled towards the end. She wore a dark cloak and a gold chain with a pendant in the shape of an intricate 'V'. Lucy flared her nostrils, moving to step around her. The stranger stepped back into her path.  
"I'm Amber." The vampire's voice was musical, another thing that did not surprise her. "Who are you?" Lucy realised she wasn't going to get away from the girl, and tried to catch Michael's eye over her shoulder.

"Lucy." She muttered finally, resigned to the vampire's company.

"That wasn't so hard now was it?" Claret eyes skated across her form. "I've never met a werewolf before." Lucy cringed, and half of the bar stopped moving to turn towards her, somehow hearing Amber over the pulsing music. Amber looked around lazily at the other, murderous looking vampires in the bar. "Maybe we should take this outside." A cold hand snared one of Lucy's and pulled her from the bar, the werewolf had no choice but to comply, glaring at Michael's back as the doors closed behind her. "As I said, I'm Amber."  
"Charmed." Lucy muttered, leaning against the doorframe.

"I'm sure you are." Amber's lips curved into a devilish smirk. "So, Lucy. What brings a werewolf to Volterra alone?" The wolf rolled her eyes.

"Passing through, and I'm not alone; my brother and my friend are here too." Amber smiled sweetly, fight or flee reflexes warred in Lucy's brain. From her experience vampires were not the best company to keep, Michael was her one and only exception.

"How long are you staying? Maybe I could meet them." Now the vampire looked predatory. Settling on fight, Lucy growled. "Easy, wolfy. I'm only being friendly." Lucy took a step backwards, intent on returning to the hotel. Michael had hung her out to dry; he was on his own too now.

"Overly so." She muttered, just loud enough for the vampire to hear before turning on her heel and stalking away.

"Sweet dreams, Lucy Reynolds."

* * *

Oh it is nice to write Amber again :) She's everything my best friend would be without morals ;)

Thank you for reading this story, feedback would make my day :)


	2. II: Filling Green Holt

Yeah...I'm not one to save the kicking off for later...

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It wasn't until Lucy reached the end of the street that she realised Amber had known her surname, something that she certainly hadn't told her. She whirled around, but the cloaked girl was already gone. Continuing down the road she could see an orange hue, lighting the night sky. Adrenalin flooded her system; something was on fire.  
Lucy set into an ambling jog until she could see what was aflame, Green Holt Hotel. Her hotel. "Leon." The name fell as a whispered denial from her lips. The building was already burning well, and the human occupants were already outside, but she could find no sign of Leon.

Mechanically she pulled the handkerchief her father always made her carry from her pocket, and tied it securely over her mouth and nose. She took a deep breath, and without thinking again, threw herself through the doorway.  
The stairs were merely cinders already but she didn't need stairs, bending her knees slightly, she leapt at the wall and then sprung off of it, landing easily on the first floor. Her brother was on the third. She coughed on some smoke, before taking off at a run before the next set of stairs could collapse.

By the time Lucy reached the third floor the fire was everywhere. She was covered in minor burns, and the roof was beginning to collapse. A scream tore through the smoke thickened air, stopping Lucy in her tracks. It was a child's scream, she knew. It was also at the other end of the corridor. She didn't have time to think. "Sorry, Lee." She muttered to herself, bolting towards the child, she could come back for her brother. She barrelled into the room to see a young girl with wide red eyes and singed white hair. Lucy couldn't smell anything but the smoke, and vampire or not, the girl didn't deserve to burn.

"I want my mommy." Lucy nodded as she moved towards the girl carefully. The floor creaked in protest.

"I know, sweetheart. But we need to get you out of here first, ok?" Lucy pretended not to notice the burning arm that was pinned, unmoving by a roof timber. The child nodded, tears streaming down her smoke covered face, leaving pale white tracks in their wake. Lucy pulled the girl into her arms, and across one shoulder; it would be much easier to carry her. A flaming roof tile grazed her free arm and she hissed. The flames cauterised the cut even as it was made. The girl howled, as Lucy ran from the room, back towards Leon. "What's your name?" She had to keep the girl awake, and herself; her eyelids were feeling heavy.

"Ruby Masters." The girl sniffled with a hiccup.

"I'm Lucy." They arrived at Leon's door, and she placed Ruby on the floor carefully. "I want you to wait here for me, ok? I'll be right back." Ruby nodded, her carmine eyes wide and terrified. Lucy kicked the door open and hopped over a fallen roof timber, shouting her brother's name.  
"Luce?" Leon's voice was weak, but she could hear it. "The building's on fire." She laughed, pulling smouldering debris from his body, not caring that her hands were blistering.

"I hadn't noticed." She deadpanned, pulling him to his feet. "Can you walk?" There was a nasty burn on his face, and a tear in his leg.

"I think so." Lucy nodded, wincing when a roof tile struck her head.

"Ok. Let's get out of here." She led her brother to the door, and momentarily forgetting the fire put her hand on the handle. She howled as the flesh seared and ripped as she tore it away from the door. Leon kicked the door from its hinges, and then stopped.

Lucy felt a random surge of affection for the child beyond run through her veins, blocking out the pain. She sighed. "Did you seriously just imprint?" She gathered Ruby into her arms again. Leon shrugged.

"Sorry."  
"Can we just get out of Dodge first? Please?" She cast her mismatched eyes around the corridor. The stairs had collapsed, and the fire escape was covered in flames.

"Window?" Lucy looked at the end of the corridor; there was a large window that had already shattered from the heat. She nodded.

"Window." Neither of them wanted to think that they were on the third floor and the drop on the other side was considerable, as they raced towards it. They jumped in unison, Ruby screaming, into the cool night air.

/

Michael scanned the smoky air of The Black Swan, looking for Lucy. Unable to see her he turned back to the bar, and Jonathon. "Did you see where my friend went?" The barman smiled slightly.

"The dog? She left with a brunette girl about ten minutes ago." Michael frowned; that was Leon's move, not Lucy's. "Pretty little thing too, vampire. Volturi, she's in here a lot." Michael's nostrils flared. "I don't think you'll be seeing your pet again though."  
"And why is that?" Panic began to blossom in his chest.

"This is Volterra, boy. Werewolves are sport here. I'm sure you know that Caius is deathly afraid of them." Michael cursed, slapping a pale hand on the bar. "I hope you chose your own hotel."  
"What? No, we were recommended one; a man at the gate." Jonathon laughed a cold laugh, a vampire's laugh.  
"Green Holt?" Michael's dead heart skipped and his borrowed blood turned cold. "This city's corrupt, kid. Everyone knows, but no one talks. A thing of beauty."  
"What are you talking about?" He wanted to get out of the bar, find Lucy, get back to Leon, and leave as quickly as was possible. And seeing as none of them were human that was pretty darn quick.

"They send all the wolves to Green Holt, Michael. And when it's full, they bring the house down. Literally." As if on some cruel cue of an even crueller joke, a crimson eyed boy ran into the bar, smiling manically.

"Green Holt's full." He yelled, a Cheshire cat grin on his pale face. The blue eyed vampire fled the bar, running straight into a street filled with smoke. He bolted towards the hotel he now knew was aflame, knowing he would find both twins there. He skidded to a halt, a cry of dismay escaping his lips, in time to see three figures leap from the topmost window.

He could easily see that two of the smoke blackened figures were Lucy and Leon, but the albino girl on Lucy's back he didn't recognise. The wolf girl pirouetted in midair, curling herself around the girl to ensure that she, herself, would hit the ground first.

He flinched when they did; Leon landed on his front with a sickening crunch that drew a yell of alarm from the crowd. Lucy landed on her back, and while there was no sound, the crowd yelled again, this time in triumph. The white headed girl, rolled from the unmoving wolf girl's grip and got to her feet, stumbling straight into a cloaked man. Volturi.

Michael sank into the shadows as more of the cloaked men entered the crowd, pulling the werewolf twins into their arms as if they weighed nothing, the child screamed but a swift punch silenced her. The blue-eyed vampire growled to himself; the people were just watching the hotel burn to the ground as if nothing was happening around them.

A flash of brown hair caught his eye, a Volturi cloak. He darted after her without really knowing what he was going to do when he caught her.

* * *

*Stands on seat pointing at screen* They're all in on it! It's a conspiracy I tell you!


	3. III: The Lovers

Well, upon the orders of a friend of mine I have put through another chapter. I am currently hyped up on Lucozade so if this makes no sense it is his fault.

Oh I should probably warn you that this chapter contains a female/female relationship. If you don't like that...I take no responsibility for you reading anyway.

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Amber slipped through the deep shadows as if she belonged there, her pitch-black cloak masking her body. She had seen the hotel go down in flames, watched the werewolf from the bar, Lucy, run inside, and had seen the girl fly from the third floor, a boy and a child with her. But she had also seen her brethren collect the three survivors, and held little hope for their continued survival. It was a shame, she mused as she passed down another dark passage. She had taken a liking to the girl, but still, she had a date to keep.

Finally she rounded a corner into a small court that was surrounded by buildings. It was a quiet place she had stumbled upon one night, as she was hunting, and she had never known anyone else to speak of it. Her carmine eyes scanned the court and found that she was not alone. A smirk pulled at her pale lips. "Good evening, or is it morning by now?" A young woman with fiery red hair stepped out from the shadows, a smile on her ruby lips. And the clock tower struck, ringing the hour.

"You're timing is impeccable, as always: morning now." Amber's smirk twitched just a touch wider as she pulled the redhead into a close embrace.

"Then good morning, Harmony." She breathed in her ear, feeling the other vampire smile into her neck. "They finally filled Green Holt again." Amber pulled away to place a soft kiss onto the redheads lips, tasting the freshly shed blood that still lingered upon them.

"I saw the smoke. Leander was sent to make sure it went well." Amber disguised her growl at the name with another, more possessive kiss. Leander was Harmony's boyfriend, fiancé if the rumours were true. This time when she pulled away, the redhead's eyes were a much darker shade of red than before.

"There were three survivors." She murmured pressing her lips to her lover's nose. "Do you think Leander can handle that?" A feather light kiss across her lips that drew a soft growl. She couldn't help the subtle jab at the man; Amber did not like having to share.

"Of course he can, Amber." Harmony's involuntary glance to her left hand betrayed her, and Amber caught sight of the golden band that confirmed the rumours. Amber kissed the other vampire again, nipping at her bottom lip only just hard enough to draw blood. She swiped the blood away with her own tongue and gave a devilish smirk.

"Shame." Harmony pulled out of her grip at blurring speed and folded her arms.

"Why do you have to do that?" Amber adopted as innocent a look as she could manage, and took a step nearer.

"Do what, Love?" Harmony rolled her eyes and Amber knew she wasn't going to be let off as easily as usual, even if the redhead's eyes were bordering on black.

"Slander him." Amber stepped closer, placing an ice-cold hand onto her lover's hip. "I honestly don't see why you don't like him." She smiled.

"Because he's the one who gets to keep you. He gets to sleep in your bed, kiss you whenever he likes…marry you." She pulled Harmony flush against her body, knowing that if she could blush, she would be as red as her hair. "I'm the dirty little secret." A distinctly male cough sounded from behind them, and for one wild second Amber hoped that Leander had discovered them. The same thought skated through Harmony's mind and she flew back into the shadows, as a longhaired man left them.

"Not interrupting anything am I, ladies?" The man had bright blue eyes, but his scent spoke of vampire. Amber narrowed her eyes.

"Of course not. What would give you that idea?" The man smiled.

"Good. I need to speak with you." Harmony slipped out of the shadows, watching the newcomer with mistrust evident on her face. "Not you, you can go. It's your girlfriend I want." Amber didn't move her gaze from those blue eyes, trying to work out where she'd seen them before.

"Go check on Leander, Harm. I can handle him." She let a smile pull at her lips, and watched the redhead leave the court. As soon as she was out of sight; "What do you want?"  
"Where do you take werewolves?" As if the man had flicked a switch in her brain she remembered where she had seen him before: The Black Swan. He was Lucy's friend.

"The Green Holt Hotel." Amber relaxed, if he wanted information, he wouldn't risk hurting her. His jaw clenched.

"After Green Holt."

"There is no 'after Green Holt'." She was enjoying toying with him but if he were anything like Lucy, he wouldn't let her for long.

"Where do you suppose they would take survivors?" There really was only one place, but knowing Leander as she did, she knew exactly where they would be taken. A plan was conceived in Amber's mind; if this man wanted to rescue his friends, he would have to get past Leander. Leander took his job very seriously, almost to the point of an obsession. If this man wanted to rescue his friends, he would have to kill Leander to get to them.

"The Volturi Vaults."

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Short, I know, but hey I needed a filler and is Amber evil or is Amber evil...in a non-villainous kind of way of course ;)


	4. IV: Beneath the City of Vampires

And back to my beloved twins we go, because I do love them so...why do you think they get beaten up so much?

* * *

Lucy could hear crying, but it sounded far away. She tried to listen as her hearing faded in and out, and found that the more she listened, the louder it sounded. She'd heard that crying before, it reminded her of smoke, and blood. Ruby.

Now that the crying was close she could hear a hushing noise too.

With a burst of effort Lucy forced her eyes open, and immediately wished she hadn't; the room she was in was dully lit, but to her eyes it was obscenely bright. She closed them again. "Luce? You awake?" Leon was in the room too; he must have been the hushing noise.

"Wish I wasn't." She muttered as she began to feel the dull agony that canvassed her entire body. "Where are we?" She tried to push herself into a sitting position but only managed to roll over onto her back. The cool stone floor soothed the blunt pain a little.

"It looks like a cell; I'm not sure." A cell…it seemed that whoever had burned down their hotel really wanted them dead. It was odd because Lucy couldn't think of anyone in Volterra who hated them that much. "I though you were joking when you said we'd end up in jail by morning." She chuckled dryly, opening her mismatched eyes again. She turned her head to see her brother leaning against the stone wall, Ruby's head resting against his shoulder, face buried in his chest, still sobbing. One large hand was resting against her white hair.

"Still can't believe you decided to imprint in the middle of a near death experience." She couldn't help but smile at the pair anyway. Leon shrugged.

"Bad timing's genetic." Lucy laughed sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, who pulled you both out of a burning hotel? I think my timing's pretty good, thank you." This time both twins laughed, and Ruby looked up, carmine eyes rimmed with red. Now that there was no smoke Lucy could smell that the girl was no vampire. Quite the opposite; Ruby was a werewolf, albeit a very young one.

"You ok." The child's voice was roughened by the smoke, but otherwise she was in perfect health.  
"Yeah, kiddo. I'm good." She lied, trying to stretch out her body. Her spine gave a healthy sounding pop that sent flashes of light sparking behind her eyes.

"You broke your back when you landed. We've been here for at least half a day though, so you should be almost done by now." Lucy clenched her hands into fists and was pleased to find that the blistered flesh had already closed into fresh pink skin. The gash on her arm had scarred over nicely too. Finished inspecting herself she forced herself upright to look at her brother.

He had rolled his trouser leg up to let air get to the injured leg, but the tear had already closed and begun to knit together again. The burn on his face was still shiny but it was a long way closer to being totally gone. "So…"

"So what, big bro?" Leon was only minutes older than Lucy but that still qualified him as her big brother, to her at least.

"Are we getting out of here?" A girlish laugh from the corridor shattered the conversation.  
"Of course you're not." The trio turned to the cell door to see a young girl with lank brown hair and burning claret eyes. "You are here by the laws of Lord Caius. You will not be leaving alive." Lucy growled and a small bolt of pain darted through her veins. "That attitude will not be tolerated."

"Jane, always a pleasure to see you down here. What can I do for you?" A male voice made the girl, Jane turn. A handsome vampire, weren't they all, with neat black hair and the same burgundy eyes ambled into view, holding a heavy set and bruised man by the scruff of his neck. The beaten man was a werewolf.

"I wanted to see the survivors for myself. That's all." The vampire man slung the cell door open, Lucy briefly entertained the idea of rushing him but she knew it would never work. The bruised man was tossed inside roughly, and the door slammed shut again. Lucy scooted to his side and found that his eyes were slightly open and while unfocused were fixed on the vampires in the corridor.

"Well Lord Aro wants to see you. But first you can help me take the next wolf upstairs. These ones are a little more…lively." The child bowed low, almost mockingly.

"Of course, Leander." The door opened once again but this time Leander's hand closed around Leon's throat. Lucy roared, batting Jane's efforts aside and sinking her teeth into the offending arm. Leander howled, kicking her away from him, even as he pulled her brother out of the cell.

"You're next." The vampire jailor spat through the bars, Lucy gave him a bloody smile and he turned, dragging a struggling Leon away. Ruby began to cry again, hiccoughing softly.

"Shh…it'll be ok. He'll be fine, and we'll get out of here." Lucy pulled the child into her arms, brushing her fingers through the snow-white hair. "It'll be ok." The man on the floor coughed, closing his eyes.

"Haven't been in the Vaults before, have you?" There was a hint of amusement in his voice. "No one ever gets out, unless they want you to."  
"There's always a first time for everything." She countered, hugging Ruby close as the tears stopped falling. They had to escape; Ruby was too young for this.

"Is it true? That Green Holt was burned down?" The amusement was gone now, and Lucy noticed that the man's body was more than slightly singed around the edges.

"Yeah." She whispered, watching Ruby pluck at her fingers.

"My wife and daughter were in there. The third floor…did you see?" Lucy frowned.

"Only Ruby-"  
"Ruby? My daughter?" The man's eyes shot open, and suddenly she realised he was blind.  
"She's here…Ruby, do you know this man?" The girl shuffled in her arms, and let out a squeal.

"Daddy!" Lucy smiled, letting the child race to her father's side, enveloping him in a bear hug that could have broken a normal man's ribs. The blinded man laughed happily, holding her to him, as if he'd never let go again. "I missed you, Daddy!"  
"I missed you too, baby girl. I missed you too." Lucy thought guiltily of the blackened arm pinned beneath a roof timber.

"I'm sorry…I didn't see…" Milky blue eyes fixed on a point just beyond her left shoulder.

"I don't blame you, kid. It's ok." Some energy appeared to have returned to the man when he finally released his daughter. "My name's Andrew Masters, and I owe you my world."  
"Lucy Reynolds, the one they took was my brother, Leon. You owe me nothing, sir." Ruby's lips were curved in a smile as she sat between the older wolves, watching their conversation even though she didn't understand much of what they were saying.

"Call me Andrew, please." Lucy nodded, smiling.

"Well then, Andrew. What do you say? Are we getting out of here?" The grin was echoed on the man's bruised lips.

"You bet your hide we are."

* * *

Yay, happy fluffy feelings :) I actually gave the kid her father back :)


	5. V: Vampiric Plots

Okies then, another chapter for vu, **segir **and **Azzceen **:)

* * *

Leon was dragged through more corridors than he cared to count and by the time they reached their destination, he had long since given up struggling. Leander's grip was strong, and Leon wasn't completely healed yet, he would be wiser to conserve his energy. The wolf was thrown to the floor, his knees hitting the marble floor with bruising force, in front of a trio of thrones. Only one, however, was occupied. The throne on the left held a spindly old vampire with long black hair. "Good evening, dog." He smiled in almost forced politeness.

"How can you tell?" There were no windows in the large room, and the ceiling arched high overhead. The vampire that had led Leon has already left, so he stood, massaging his shoulder. "I mean there's no windows, clocks or anything. You wearing a watch?" The ancient vampire gave a cold chuckle.

"Your false bravado has no place here, mongrel." He steepled his fingers, and leaned forwards in his throne. "Tell me, boy. Where does your kind keep springing from? You are a plague upon this earth, a plague I intend to wipe out. So tell me, where are they?" Leon licked his thumb and wiped soot from his arm.

"Well, when you put it like that. Why would I want to tell you?" Thin lips twisted into a cruel smile.

"If you tell me, I'll let you and your little friends leave. A head start of sorts." Leon's mismatched eyes rolled; he knew that his sister wouldn't say a word, and he knew that the last wolf in this room hadn't either, so neither would he.  
"You may as well take me back to the cell; I'm not saying a word." Faster than the wolf's sight could follow, the vampire flitted from his seat to stand directly before him. One ice-cold hand wrapped itself around his throat, making his skin crawl in revulsion as he was lifted from his feet.  
"Such nobility from such a lowly creature. Tell me something else then. Tell me if you would prefer your sister, or the child to make my acquaintance." Leon snarled, wrapping his much larger hands around the old man's wrists. His eyes blazed.

"Don't you lay a finger on them. Don't you dare." Leon's nature as his sister's alpha reared its head; it wouldn't allow any threats made to its pack.

"Chivalry too, you must be a very popular beast." The vampire cocked his head, almost childlike. If Leon hadn't felt so sick at heart, he might've laughed. "But if you cannot tell me what I wish to know, I have to search elsewhere. Or maybe…Dante?" A dark haired vampire with glittering dark eyes that held not even a hint of colour slipped from the shadows. Dante bowed low, and swept his hair from his eyes when he stood again.

"Yes, Lord Caius?" Leon looked at the newcomer and wished he could back away. There was something in the vampire's eyes that set his instincts aflame. Caius tossed him to the floor unceremoniously, and his momentum carried him to Dante's feet. He scrambled to stand but a cold hand closed around the scruff of his neck before he could, dragging him to Dante's eye level. "Another puppy? Master, you shouldn't have." Dark eyes glimmered with darker intentions.

"Try to keep him conscious this time, Dante." The older vampire muttered, a hint of amusement colouring his voice. "And I would prefer it if you left his sight intact too." A chill raced through Leon's veins, even as the first punch landed squarely in his solar plexus.

/

Leander left the throne room, inspecting the tear in his forearm. The female dog was next, and he would watch as she was made to pay. Blood that he had taken from a young man only the night before, was still trickling from the wound, but the skin was beginning to knit together.

He could hear the blonde boy screaming back in the throne room, and briefly wondered what Dante was doing to him. "Lee, I've been looking for you all day." At the familiar voice he smiled and turned to face the redheaded vampire he knew would be standing there. His fiancé, Harmony, smiled back and immediately pulled him into a close hug. "I thought the wolves had got you." He chuckled, burying his face in her shoulder and pretended he couldn't smell Amber on her robes.

He knew all about the harlot that had led his fiancé astray, he was merely waiting for an opportunity for his revenge. Leander was a thinker that was what made him such a formidable foe. He didn't look threatening, and he planned every move carefully, he was Marcus Volturi's champion after all. Each of the Volturi Lords had one: Jane was Aro's, Caius' was Dante, and Marcus had Leander.

"I can handle a few wolves, my love." And your little girlfriend too he added in his mind, smirking into the redheads shoulder.

"I know, but I was still worried about you." Harmony placed a kiss on his cold lips, one hand caressing his cheek. He responded hungrily, determined to take the taste of Amber from the woman's mouth. When he pulled away, her eyes were black as pitch.

"Of course, how's Amber?" She knew that Leander knew, of course: he had never been able to keep secrets from Harmony. The only person who was out of the loop was Amber herself.

"She's ok, I think. A boy wanted to speak with her about the wolves in your care. He wants to rescue them." She marked a beat, but Leander already knew what she was going to say. "She told him, I think she may use this as a chance to strike against you." He nodded, taking Harmony's hands in his own. The fact that she wore his ring meant that he had already won; he just wanted to add injury to insult.

"Good."

/

Amber led Michael through the treacherous tunnels that spider webbed beneath Volterra. They both knew that the blue eyed vampire would never have found his way through them, and even if he had, he'd have been found and killed long before he reached his friends. Amber had stolen him a Volturi cloak so he blended in just a little better. "How much further?" But he was starting to grate upon her nerves.

"Five minutes, maybe more. An eternity if you don't stop asking that." Michael fell back into his sullen silence, and they flitted on. Soon they found the garrison that blocked any further entry to outsiders, and slipped inside.

* * *

Yeah, it should get rather fun in the next chapter or so huh?


	6. VI: Getting Away

I know what you're thinking if you've been waiting all this time since the last update...'finally', right? But hey, it's here now :)

* * *

Leon gasped for breath as he ghosted a hand across his chest. Even the slightest of touches sent a bolt of agony through his body. Caius had called his man off and in the brief respite the werewolf took stock of his new injuries. Aside from his broken ribs, there was a slash from his hip to his knee on his left leg and he was sure his cheekbone had been broken too, or at the very least fractured. "Are you ready to talk now, Dog?" Caius sounded almost bored, watching Leon struggle to his feet. Dante smirked, standing half in shadow, sneering as Leon fell back to the marble floor.

"No." The werewolf coughed, tasting blood on his lips. Caius sighed.  
"Then you are of no further use. Dante?" The dark eyed vampire flitted forwards, his thin lips twisted into a cruel grin. One cold hand closed on the collar of Leon's shirt and he was lifted from the ground, to Dante's eye level.

"I told you that werewolves are noble creatures, Caius." A voice that reminded Leon forcibly of century old parchment forced Dante to freeze in his movements.  
"You did." The old vampire conceded. Another ancient vampire flitted into the room, accompanied by the girl, Jane, that had helped drag him from his cell. Leon growled weakly. The newcomers laughed.

"I told you they would never turn tail on their own too." The old man sounded amused. "Didn't I, Caius?"  
"You did, Aro." Caius sounded as if he was barely restraining his frustration now, when before he'd easily countered Leon's bravado. Dante slowly lowered him to the ground.  
"And? Was I right, brother?" From his position on the cool floor Leon could easily see everything in the room, even the dark eyed vampire slinking back into the shadows behind the trio of thrones, unnoticed by the others.  
"You were." Caius bowed his head, while Aro shared a glance with Jane.

"Then your pet project is not faring well." Aro's crimson eyes danced with barely hidden delight. "Such a shame you are so terrified; the wolves are beautiful creatures." Caius shuddered, drawing his cloak around his spindly body. "I wonder if he is too injured…I would like him to see we can be noble too." Aro turned to Leon. Carefully, with shaking hands, the wolf lifted his right hand and gave the vampire a thumbs up gesture. "Excellent. Jane?" The girl moved to the centre of the room, not far from where Leon lay and fell into a combative stance.  
"What are you doing, Aro?" Caius sounded bored now that the topic had strayed from his own projects. Aro swept away from him to sit in the centre throne. Caius took his seat at his left.

"Dimitri?" Another vampire entered the room, breezing into the centre to face Jane without even glancing at the other vampires in the room. Leon knew he didn't stand a chance at fighting his way out of the room, not even if he was in peak condition. He could only hope that whatever was going to happen, they would be too distracted to focus on him and he could sneak away.

"Aro, what is this?" Aro smiled, pressing his fingers together into a steeple before him. Anticipation glittered in his crimson eyes as Jane and Dimitri glared at each other.

"This, Caius? This is a duel." Caius shifted in his seat slightly to eye the other regal vampire. "You see Jane and Dimitri have had a…disagreement of late. It appears that Dimitri has had ideas above his station, and that he has…provoked my dear Jane in the process. I thought it would be a good idea for them to work it out." Without warning Dimitri flew at Jane, ivory teeth flashing as his lip curled. The child, for she was only a child, merely flicked brown hair from her face and the man fell to the floor, yelling in pain. Leon shuddered at the display of power, squeezing his eyes closed even as Dimitri struggled to his feet.

/

Amber darted through the corridors of the Volturi Vaults with an undisguised ease, Michael on her heels. He had remained silent since the tunnels; whenever he tried to speak the other vampire shot him a cool glare that caused his words to die in his mouth.

The corridors had been curiously empty thus far and it wasn't until they reached the centre of the maze like structure that they found out why. The unmistakeable sounds of battle were raging behind a heavy wooden door, and those sounds were almost deafened by cheering, and catcalls.

Michael felt distinctly sick and hoped that Leon and Lucy had not been forced to fight. He made to go to the door but a marble arm stopped him. Looking ahead he saw what Amber had already seen, the redhead from the city above was cradled in the arms of another vampire. A male vampire no less. He wanted to ask but the look in Amber's eyes stopped him before he began. "Go." She hissed, barely loud enough for him to hear with her eyes fixed on the redheaded beauty. "I'll handle them." Without looking back she swaggered out of the shadows, swinging her hips tantalisingly. He didn't need to see her face to know she would be smirking too.

"Amber." The name fell from the redhead's lips before the man even saw the brunette. The man tore himself from her arms and turned to face her, victory already shining in his eyes.

"Harmony. Leander." Silence fell then, and no one moved, not even Michael; he daren't, not when any one of the vampires could see his movement from the corner of their eye. Amber must have shared his thought, because she half turned her head towards him, before lunging forwards to take hold of Harmony. Before Leander could stop her she had pulled the redhead into a fiery kiss, providing more than enough of a distraction for Michael to dash across the corridor, directly into another.  
He knew there would be a confrontation between the redhead and her lovers. He also knew that that confrontation would leave at least one deader than before. But he couldn't wait and watch. He had to keep moving, even if he didn't know how to get where he was going.

/

Lucy kicked out at the cell door one more time. It was odd that no one had responded to the obscenely loud noise that the contact made, but she was past caring as the door finally swung open. Ruby laughed happily, wrapping her arms around the older girl's legs before turning to help her father to his feet. Lucy allowed herself a smile as she led the pair out of the cell, Andrew leaning heavily on the child's shoulder for bother support and guidance.

It was a shame that he'd never see his daughter again, she mused as they inched along the torch lit corridor. She knew he hadn't been blind when he'd first come to Volterra, so somehow the vampires had ruined his sight for good. She shook the thoughts from her head; getting angry wouldn't do anyone any good. A movement caught her eye. She stopped, putting out a hand to stop Ruby.  
Slowly, silently Lucy pulled one of the burning torches from its bracket on the wall. A vampire's greatest enemy may have been werewolves, but fire was right up there on the 'avoid' list. A black cloaked figure darted from shadow to shadow, seemingly oblivious of her, but as soon as it came near she caught it by the hood and pulled it close waving the torch threateningly against its body. Only then did she catch the scent. "Mike?" She whispered, her grip slackening.

"Luce." A sigh of relief escaped the vampire's lips and he twisted his body to pull her into a tight embrace. "You're ok." She tossed the torch away and hugged him close, smiling into his cold chest.

"How did you get in?" He let out a rumbling laugh, pulling away. Lucy shivered; his contact left a residual iciness on her skin.

"A girl called Amber let me in." Amber. Lucy frowned, introducing Ruby and Andrew absently. This was the second time she'd come across the crimson-eyed vampire. The second time that a meeting had led to a life being saved. After all, if Amber hadn't pulled her from The Black Swan she'd have left early, never have been able to pull Leon and Ruby from the burning hotel.

"We need to find Leon." She announced, cutting off the harsh conversation between Andrew and Michael. The older wolf, it seemed, could smell that he was a vampire and most certainly didn't trust him for it.

"We need to get out." Michael overruled her smoothly and she could tell something was wrong.  
"They took him. I need to find him." She folded her arms across her chest, frustration flashing in her mismatched eyes.

"We can come back for him, first we need to get Andrew and Ruby out." He had a point, she could admit that, but there was no way in Hell she was leaving her brother behind.

"I'm not leaving without Leon." Michael sighed, his shoulders drooping slightly. She felt a brief thrill of victory.

"I had a feeling you'd say that." Her victory was short lived as she was swept into Michael's arms and swung over his shoulder like a misbehaving child. "But it's easier this way." Lucy lashed out with her feet and fists but Michael only began to walk back the way he had come, Ruby leading Andrew along behind them.

* * *

Huh...poor Leon...and what's happening with Amber, Harmony and Leander :O wish I knew myself really...


	7. VII: Rescue Mark Two

The penultimate chapter my friends, so I believe it is time for a little bit of action...

* * *

"Michael, put me down." Lucy yelled in the vampire's ear as loudly as she could. A tinkling laugh from ahead gave Ruby's mirth away but she ignored the child, just as Michael ignored her. "Mike." His name was a warning; they had already passed out of the Vaults and onto the streets. She didn't know why but she was surprised that it was still nighttime.  
"I'm not putting you down until we're out of town." The vampire's bell like voice was usually comforting, now it was infuriating. Taking a deep breath of cool night air she bit down on his icy neck. Instinctively Michael threw her away from him to grasp at the bleeding mark on his throat. He turned wide blue eyes on her.

"What the Hell?" He cried, causing Ruby and Andrew to stop and turn to look back at them.  
"You're treating me like a child." Lucy folded her arms stubbornly, licking the sludgy blood from her lips.

"You're acting like one." Mismatched eyes rolled as Michael mimicked her stance.

"I want to save my brother. How is that childish?" It wasn't Michael that answered her. The voice came from behind.

"Because your brother is in the throne room. He's probably already dead. I'm sorry." Andrew's voice was tired, and he was still being supported by his daughter but his cloudy eyes told only the truth.

"There's a fight in the throne room. Even if he was still alive, most of the Volturi are in there, you'd just get yourself killed." The deep blue eyes were pleading with her but Lucy didn't want to believe that her brother was beyond hope. She was enough of a child for that.

"I have to try." She looked between the two men, sending a worried Ruby a small smile. "Besides, I have a better weapon than you do. Me." Michael sighed, relenting finally.

"Ok, fine. Don't die."  
"Not planning on it, big guy. Wait for us on the hill. If I'm not back in a half hour, count time for dramatic dialogue or me getting lost. If I'm still not back you can have all my stuff and I want a pirate funeral." She ruffled Ruby's hair with a wink before throwing herself onto all fours, limbs already changing a blonde fur slipping into existence, she mentally cursed when her clothes shredded to nothing but soon she was stood as a wolf the size of a car. She shook her fur until she felt comfortable.

"Pirates? Never mind, just hurry." Unable to speak she merely pressed her muzzle into Michael's had before sprinting back into the Vaults.

/

Amber wasn't sure what had possessed her to initiate a kiss in front of Harmony's fiancé, but the need for a distraction and the undeniable lack of material to cause one with, had led to a split second decision. She knew the very second that the redhead relaxed into the kiss, slender hands finding purchase on Amber's hips, that those moments could very well be her last. Her lips curved into a smile as she pulled Harmony impossibly closer; she couldn't think of a better way to die.

She bit down on her lover's lower lip, eliciting a muffled sound from the redhead, and that sound seemed to be the final straw for Leander. One heavy hand landed roughly on Amber's shoulder and tore her away from Harmony, throwing her easily to the ground. The brunette gave the man a grin stained with Harmony's borrowed blood as she licked the crimson liquid from her lips. "You know, most men wouldn't mind." She quipped standing gracefully and dusting invisible dirt from her cloak.

"Call me old fashioned, but I like my women faithful." Harmony flinched at her fiancé's words, even though they were spat in Amber's direction. She, however, did not even seem to register the insult. Her smirk grew wider.

"Old fashioned." She muttered, drawing a roar from the man. Too late she realised that the door behind the three had swung open, and a bemused Marcus stood framed in the doorway.

"It appears you have drawn the ire of my champion." The white haired man stated in his papery voice. Beyond him she could see Felix helping a limping Dimitri through the far door, swiftly followed by Alec carrying his bloodstained sister. A sick feeling was born in her heart; what had been a simple rescue mission, which she had hoped would spell disaster for Leander, had turned into disaster for her. Leander straightened his cloak with a flourish.

"I have it in hand, my Lord." Marcus gave a thin, malicious smile.

"Brawling in the corridors? I had thought you had more honour than that Leander." The younger vampire flinched and Amber smirked. Only Harmony, however, looked worried. "I wish for you to settle this. A duel, I believe, would be more appropriate. A duel for the beautiful Lady Harmony's hand."  
"It's not her hand we're fighting over." Amber smiled, just wide enough to show her fangs, just wide enough to be threatening, and caught the redhead's eye. "But fine, let's do it your way."

"A duel, with what weapon?" Leander flexed his fingers, anticipation lighting in his crimson eyes. Marcus smiled.

"Anything you wish." The ivory haired vampire bowed mockingly, letting Leander pass. Amber moved to follow him but Harmony caught her elbow.  
"Be careful." Amber smiled, brushing red hair from her lover's face.  
"I'm always careful, Love." Harmony rolled her eyes skyward and allowed Amber to lead her into the room, Marcus letting the door close behind them with a snap.

The throne room was half filled with vampires stood in a ring, jeering and cheering like mortals enjoying their blood sport. And there was blood; Amber could only guess that it was once Jane's and Dimitri's but now the liquid was staining the marble floor. She suppressed a shudder, and then stopped. There was another in the room, not a vampire, not a human, but a werewolf.

Lying against the wall, stained with blood, barely conscious, was a blonde man with mismatched eyes; one eye piercing green and the other bright blue. The likeness to Lucy Reynolds was incredible; this had to be her brother, which could only mean that the rescue mission was doomed to fail.  
Amber moved into the ring of vampires to stand opposite a grinning Leander. She knew he was a formidable opponent, even without a power to call his own. Marcus had returned to his brothers, sat in the third of the thrones that towered above all.

"Begin." A rush of air told her that Leander was flying through the air and impulse made her flit out of his path. He recovered quickly and once again she was sent rushing out of his way. But instead of making a third lunge Leander walked away, passing through the crowd towards the wall. Slowly, everyone's eyes on him, he plucked a sword from its bracket on the wall. Amber's eyes widened and she sprinted towards another weapon. Her sword was heavy, as a human she would never have been able to lift it.

Leander was only a blur when he rejoined her, his sword only a whistle in the air. He was much more adept with a sword than she, it was pure instinct that made her raise her own blade to block its swing. As they collided both blades sang but Leander's started a wild down swipe towards Amber's legs.  
She jumped but the sword followed her, biting into her leg just above the ankle. Leander yelled in victory, his blade now stained with dark blood. Before she could land Amber forced her own blade down, as hard as she could, sinking the steel into the man's shoulder, turning his yell into a howl. Her sword must've lodged itself in his collarbone though, because with all her vampiric strength she couldn't pull it free. She hit the ground on her injured ankle and felt it give beneath her, forcing her to one knee. Leander grinned in victory, raising his sword above his head, ignoring the one still buried in his shoulder.

"Wolf!" The yell was strong, and filled with inhuman terror as Caius flew to his feet. Every vampire in the room turned to see a car sized blonde wolf slink into the throne room and watched in wonder as it pressed it's nose against the fallen young man's hand. The man Amber believed to be Lucy's brother, then the wolf must be Lucy herself, used the animal to help himself to his feet, only to drop to all fours a second later, blonde fur spreading along his body and clothes falling away. In another few seconds there was another, identical wolf, standing beside the first.

One of the braver vampires in their circle darted forwards, teeth aimed for the already injured animal. Lucy raised a plate sized paw and easily swatted the threat aside. Her brother growled.

"How did they get loose?" Leander's horrified breath drew Amber's attention away from the wolves, and suddenly she realised that her opponent had made two grave errors. The first was turning his back on her. The second was holding sword loosely at his side; he was just asking for it to be taken from him. In a single, lightening fast movement she swiped it from him, and raised it fluidly above her head. Leander had barely turned back to face her, horror dawning in his eyes, when the blade cut cleanly through his neck.

Leander's lifeless body fell to the ground, dead blood pooling around his neck, while his head rolled to the feet of the other vampires. Harmony screamed.

"Murder!" Her voice caught the attention of all, and Amber dropped the sword with a clatter, realising too late her mistake.

"Murder!" The yell was taken up by all.  
"Banishment!" Another cry was added to the cacophony of noise. The blonde wolves slowly crept towards the door.

"Death!" The wolves escaped and the Volturi descended upon Amber.

* * *

Well that was very out of character wasn't it? Lucy and Leon, I mean; they left Amber to die...


	8. VIII: Never Again

The last chapter...**segir** this is for you, friend :)

* * *

The twin wolves ran as fast as they could manage, with Leon still limping, down the empty corridors, until Lucy skidded to a stop. _'Leon, stop.'_ A few metres away the other wolf slowed, and turned before padding back towards his sister.

'_What is it?'_ Lucy looked back down the corridor, shifting her forepaws slightly.

'_We can't just leave her back there; they'll tear her apart.'_ Leon's fur shrank back a little. _'Are you ok?'_

'_Never realised how hard it is to hold this together with a gaping wound. I'll be fine.' _He cast a glance between Lucy and the end of the tunnels that was close enough for him to hear the humans outside. _'You want to go back for that leech?'_

'_She's the one that let Mike in to get us out. We owe her.'_ Leon nodded his wolfy head, and began to pace back towards the throne room.

'_Always said you had a thing for brunettes, Luce.' _His sister shot him a withering look, trotting beside him.

'_Says the guy who imprinted on an albino who can't be older than six.'_ She laughed in her mind, happy now that her brother was close.

'_Touché.' _They shared wolfy grins as Leon batted the heavy wooden door open and yells from inside told them that the room was still full of vampires. _'If we die trying to save this leech, I'm going to kill you.'_ Every vampire turned to the twin beasts, half of their faces reading horror, the other half; rage.

'_You're going to try.'_ Lucy roared and Caius visibly flinched and hid behind his throne. A small group of vampires tried to rush the wolves. Leon sunk his teeth into the nearest, tearing him in two with little effort, and forcing his companion to the floor with a single paw. Beside him Lucy head butted a vampire out of her path before taking the vampire behind the first into her jaws. With dead blood staining their mouths they growled. Aro got to his feet, clapping for attention.

"I believe we have done these creatures a disservice." Leon gave a barking laugh, his form wavering slightly.

'_He _believes_?'_

"So I cannot help but be surprised they returned here. I wonder, if you would permit me, if I could scan your mind?" Lucy locked her mismatched eyes on the ancient man, before bowing her head in acceptance. "Thank you." Aro flitted from his throne to stand before the wolf that easily towered over him. He placed an ice-cold hand against her muzzle and closed his blood red eyes, a smile pulling at his ivory lips. "You came to save Amber." There was wonderment in his voice. "Because she helped you."  
"No!" A melodic voice yelled its mistress' denial and a redheaded vampire stepped from the crowd, dragging Amber by the arm, a bloodied sword in her free hand. "She killed him. She doesn't get to walk away." Blood red nails were digging into Amber's flesh but betrayal was burning in her eyes. Lucy felt a growl build in her chest.

'_Calm down; we don't want to fight if we don't have to.'_ Aro removed his hand as if he had been burned.

"Amazing, you communicate through your minds." Wonderment shone in his eyes and the twins shared a confused glance. "Your brother is a smart man." He turned his back on them to face the redheaded woman. "Loyalty is a rare virtue among us." The redhead moved her gaze to the floor, if she could have blushed, Lucy was sure she would have. "You are free to leave, take Amber with you." The redhead howled, raising the sword above her head. Aro's hand shot out, catching the blade before it could begin its downward rush for a devastating blow against Amber's neck. "Amber is hereby banished from Volterra under pain of death. We release her into your care." The ancient vampire pulled the brunette from the other woman's grip. Amber refused to make eye contact with anyone, there were many breaks in her porcelain skin, and she was visibly shaken as she moved to stand between the wolves.

'_We need to leave; I'm not sure how much longer I can hold myself together, and I think they might be getting brave.'_ Lucy bowed her head at her brother's thoughts, pushing her nose against the terrible cold of Aro's hand in thanks. As one the wolves turned, taking Amber with them.

"No one follows." Aro's order echoed around the hall as the horde of vampires began to inch forwards. "No more, Caius. They are not Children of the Moon. Leave the wolves alone."

/

By the time the trio reached the city it was sunrise, and they raced towards the hill beyond the city walls before Amber's skin began to glitter. The journey was made in silence with the vampire leaning on Lucy, one hand buried in the blonde fur. Even the twins were silent; Leon was focusing on keeping his shape while Lucy was thinking on Aro's decision. He had taken a risk in letting them go, but the risk was minimal; she had no wish to return to Volterra, not even for revenge.  
By the time they crested the hill Leon was breathing heavily and upon reaching the flat top he collapsed onto the ground, his fur shrinking back to reveal pale skin. Lucy looked around, tongue lolling from her jaws, until she saw Michael, Andrew and Ruby sitting in the grass.  
Ruby squealed and raced towards them, hugging first the prone, human, Leon and then the wolfen Lucy. "Good timing; you were on your last minute of dramatic dialogue." Michael smiled getting to his feet. "What's wrong with Lee?" The cerulean-eyed vampire cast a glance towards Amber but ultimately ignored her.

"He's being dramatic." Amber muttered, speaking for the first time since the throne room. Lucy looked up at her with a wolfy grin.

"Hey, do you have any idea how hard it is to change with a gaping wound?" Michael laughed softly before removing the Volturi cloak from his shoulders and throwing it over Leon.  
"This should keep you decent till we find a town. Why's she here?" Lucy's fur retreated into her skin, her bones changing until she was human again.

"She's been banished so she's without a home." Amber shot her a glare.

"You make me sound like a puppy." The wolf girl shared a smile with her brother as he forced himself to his feet, the cloak wrapped around his waist like a skirt.

"Can we keep her?" Amber punched the blonde in the arm. "Ow, I saved you back there!" Ruby snickered, returning to the shelter of her father's arms. The vampire rolled her eyes and planted a kiss on Lucy's cheek before turning and repeating the gesture with Leon.  
"Thank you by the way." The blonde wrinkled her nose but smiled gratefully when Amber removed her cloak and draped it around her shoulders.  
"Gross." Leon wiped at his cheek roughly.  
"Where to, boss boy?" Michael smiled happily, looking up at the male wolf.  
"Sam's annual reunion?"  
"Not us, I'm afraid." Andrew finally cut into the conversation, one hand holding Ruby's. "We should go home, Ruby's still a child, this isn't a world for her."  
"We can visit right?" Leon's voice took on a pleading tone drawing a laugh from the older wolf.

"I don't think Ruby would have it any other way, right Sweetheart?" The albino girl smiled brightly.

"You visit." She decided rushing forwards to hug Leon again. "You mine." Lucy gave a coughing laugh as the child returned to her father's side and began to lead him down the side of the hill.  
"You're going to have your hands full with that one, Lee." Her brother smiled.

"You're going to have your hands full with Sam when we turn up with these two. I'll tell him it's all your fault, and you know he'll believe me." Lucy paled, already dreaded Sam Uley's reaction to vampires on his territory.  
"You wouldn't." She began to chase him down the hill, the vampires blurring behind her. "You wouldn't. Lee, come on."  
"I would, I will. Catch me if you can, little sister."

* * *

Aw, I like those two :) Amber's ok too, I suppose...thank you for putting up with me through these chapters, I hope you enjoyed them.


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